


The Pressure That Comes With

by GayStormCloud (AStormCloud)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alya Césaire Makes Assumptions, Angst, Comfort, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Lila Rossi Lies, Manipulative Lila Rossi, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Other, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, tw food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25037935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AStormCloud/pseuds/GayStormCloud
Summary: In which Chat is the only person who doesn’t expect something from her....There was a lot of pressure in Marinette’s life, despite what everyone assumed from her.  Her teachers expected her to be a good example for students like Chloe, she had her job as Class Representative ( or she used to), her friends expected her to help babysit and hang out with them, her parents expected her to get good grades and help in the store sometimes, Jagged and a few other people expected her to be able to do commission work, Paris expected her to be the hero they needed, and Chat…  Well she didn’t know what Chat expected from her on either side of the mask
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 10
Kudos: 197





	The Pressure That Comes With

**Author's Note:**

> 1 paragraph mentions Self Harm and Eating Disorders and may be potentially triggering, if you would like to skip it is marked by *** lines

There was a lot of pressure in Marinette’s life, despite what everyone assumed from her. Her teachers expected her to be a good example for students like Chloe, she had her job as Class Representative ( or she used to), her friends expected her to help babysit and hang out with them, her parents expected her to get good grades and help in the store sometimes, Jagged and a few other people expected her to be able to do commission work, Paris expected her to be the hero they needed, and Chat… Well she didn’t know what Chat expected from her on either side of the mask, he’d visited Marinette a handful of times in her home. He was usually a very welcome distraction from her problems, and something to pay attention to while she worked. On the other hand, in the mask all he expected from her was her kindness and to be his partner (like everyone else, that meant saving Paris, but with him it was different. He also supported her, they were equals). 

Knowing all of this, it wasn’t very hard for Marinette to feel overwhelmed and out of control sometimes. Of course, individually everything shouldn’t be that overwhelming, but all together ended up with a very tired and overworked teenage girl. With the extra push of Lila isolating her from her friends, and the news's remarks on Ladybug’s appearance. 

The obvious solution would be to talk to tikki, but she was often tired after their fights, which were some of her hardest times. She very often thought of alternatives, most of them more destructive than you would be led to believe from the holder of the miraculous of creation. 

***** Possibly Triggering content*****

She’d tried monitoring her eating to curve down her weight, but her impulses were too strong. Afterwards, and whenever she thought back on the situation, she labeled herself as a fatty or pig. Someone unable to control themselves, yet again. The other option, was much worse to think about, she’d thought about S*lf H*arm before, but the closest she’d gotten was scrubbing away at her frustrated doodles on her arms. She hated to admit that she wanted to do more, but she shelved it away under ‘forbidden things’, she chickened out again, like always.

****content end****

On the subject of destruction, a certain black cat usually helped, but he only came by on Wednesdays and Fridays (his patrol nights), if at all. She stepped out onto the patio, silently pleading Chat would just show up and help her solve all her problems. The cold night wind bit her skin, and she responsively tugged on her scarf. She was alone with only her thoughts to keep her company, all of them. The ones that yearned for self-destruction as the solution pulled at her arms, thoughts of each responsibility swirled around her head, and she was coated in a layer of guilt. Not everything was as magically solved as with her Lucky Charm’s reset. 

“Screw magic” she whispered hoarsely, as she hadn’t really spoken in hours. She slipped back into her room, grabbed her new sneakers, and threw on a comfortable outfit. The cap she’d designed, but everything else was just laying around. 

As she slipped out the back door, she didn’t quite know where she was going, but she reasoned being lost in her thoughts justified being lost in Paris. Her feet carried her from street to street until she landed at the eiffel tower, looming high above her. She grabbed a ticket and climbed the steps of the tower, an odd experience compared to just swinging up. Daring herself, she climbed out and sat just off from where she and Chat usually met for patrol. Collecting her thoughts felt almost easier up there, it was familiar. She was almost done (the same regard to crying), and started getting up, and back to the allowed areas. As she turned to leave, she was met with a block in her path, and stumbled, she would’ve fell if not for him grabbing her arms to help her back up. 

“Careful there, purr-incess” he warned her, pulling The shorter girl back up onto the platform behind him. 

“Thank you, Chat,” she replied, taking in the scenario. She might have been able to help herself back up regardless, but she considered herself lucky to have Chat there to catch her.

“And what would you be doing up here all by yourself in the middle of the night?” He wondered, looking down at her.

“It’s just.. everything I have to do, it’s all a lot sometimes. I can usually handle it, but not tonight apparently” She tried to wipe the tears and tiredness left on her face away, almost succeeding.

He murmured something under his breath, “ I can relate to that, Marinette. Do you want to talk about it?” he offered, knowing it usually helped to talk to Plagg when his responsibilities piled up, “Or may I just help you home? I’d feel bad leaving you here to walk so far alone”

“ That would be.. nice, Chaton.” She, as per usual started to ramble, “As long as you don’t mind that is. I wouldn’t want to be a bother with all that you do. You and ladybug must be very busy saving Paris all the time, that is?”

He chuckled softly, moving closer and offering his hand, “No one’s ever a bother, especially you” She took his hand, and he was off. 

They landed back on her patio, where everything had started for the anxious girl, her mind racing and thoughts out of order. 

“So, did you want to talk about it, princess?” Chat asked, as he’d offered earlier.

“Yea, that’d be nice. Would you mind if I grabbed something from my room really quick? I wouldn’t want to bother you or anything?”

Chat nodded, reiterating she wasn't a bother, “go ahead, I’ll stay”

Marinette scuttered down into her room, pulling out her box of baked goods, and coming back up to the roof area. She tore a croissant in half, offering the other side to Chat. “It’s just, everything’s a lot and almost everyone in my life expects something from me, and usually I can bear it, but lately I’ve picked up a few more things and it’s all too much. I don’t know how to tell people without offending them, because it sounds like they’re not worth my time anymore, and that would mean not being a good friend. That’s one of the things I’m most known for, and if I’m not that, what am I?” She started, offering the open box while she talked, “and- well.. And there’s this girl at school who’s been spreading lies and rumours about me, and people keep telling me to set a good example, or they don’t believe me. But with her threats, which I know she can fulfill. I don’t know what to do anymore?” 

Chat murmured, brushing crumbs off the top of his suit, “ No one deserves to feel like that, Mari. Have the teachers at your school done anything?”

“ No, everyone believes her or expects it to solve itself really”

“You should file an issue with the teachers at your school, they shouldn’t be taking her word over yours and not helping you with all this.” he checked the time on his baton, “ I have to go for the night, as it’s getting late. But, I’ll hope to find you again on Friday? Let me know if the issues persist, I’m sure they’d hate to ignore someone as lovely as me” He proclaimed, flexing and chuckling, the green-eyed teen took her hand and pressed a kiss to it, leaping away and grumbling to himself as soon as he was far enough away. 

Marinette was left feeling a little better, brushing away her thoughts of one cute cat. She’d file a complaint with her parents to the school board. 

The next day at school found her a bit better, and Adrien seemed more aggressive towards Lila, which seemed weird compared to usual. When she complained about Mari ‘bullying’ her, Adrien slid into the seat next to her, where Alya used to sit before she moved next to Lila. They ended up chatting for part of the period, with little to no sputtering from the raven-haired girl. Adrien helped her correct her notes, and she ended up looking forward for school days to come for the first time in a while. Maybe things were gonna work out in the end, and if not, she could still count on Chat. She knew for sure now. 

**Author's Note:**

> TYSM for reading! This is the first MLB fic I've written, and the first piece of writing Ie done in a while! Let me know if you like to see more of this or anything in specific ( I love prompts ). I'm open to constructive criticism, and I hope you get to see more of my writing soon! :D


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